All evacuations were lifted Friday on what is now a 50-percent contained fire spanning 850 acres in the Cleveland National Forest a few miles southwest of Wildomar.

While 450 structures have been threatened, none have been destroyed or damaged, fire officials said Friday evening.

Some 200 homes had been evacuated in the La Cresta area south of Lake Elsinore due to the Wildomar fire.

“Additional resources helped to strengthen containment lines and control the forward rate of spread around the northern and western perimeter,” Olivia Walker, Cleveland National Forest spokeswoman said Friday evening. “Moderate fire activity and interior burning is expected for the next few days. Light winds at five to eight mph and higher humidity levels will assist firefighting efforts. Night operations will continue for hand crews.”

Repopulation of the La Cresta and Wildomar area began at 6 p.m. Friday, she said.

As of Friday evening some there were 969 people fighting the fire. Equipment used included five air tankers, five helicopters and six bulldozers.

Fire officials said they believe the fire will be 100 percent contained Monday.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department remained in a unified command, Walker said.

Authorities had been optimistic early Friday that cooler temperatures and lower winds could help in battling the wildfire heading into the weekend.

“Lower winds and lower heat, that’s always helpful, but we’re talking about an area that has not burned in a long time with very heavy brush, so we’re optimistic but we’re still keeping an eye on it,” Walker said Friday morning.

The area has been untouched by fire since 1993, fire authorities said.

Mandatory evacuations were extended early Friday morning to include some homes in La Cresta and Wildomar neighborhoods that were previously under an evacuation warning, she said.

Mandatory evacuations at one time affected homes west of Grand Avenue, north of Avenida La Cresta and south of Calle de Lobo in La Cresta, as well as in Wildomar along Hixon Road at Alameda De Monte and Avenida La Cresta, according to fire officials.

Voluntary evacuations had been put in place for the Bear Creek community in Murrieta and in the Lakeland Village area from Akley Street to McVicar and west of Grande Avenue.

Those were among the evacuation orders later lifted Friday.

Evacuee Cal Azzam, 48, said he was in the hospital Thursday with his wife for the birth of his eighth child when he heard about the fire. He returned Friday to get the rest of his family.

“I just took the kids,” he said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Azzam said he was going to stay with family in Wildomar until he was allowed to return.

Clinton Keith road at Avenida Cresta had been closed and the Cleveland National Forest also had closed the Tenaja Junction along with Los Alamos near La Cuesta.

Earlier in the day Friday, and across the street from the evacuation zone in La Cresta, a group of about 15 people stood outside their parked cars to watch buzzing helicopters scoop up water from a pond.

With whirring blades emitting a thunderous roar, the copters arrived every few minutes with a long hose and hovered over the pond for about 20 seconds before retreating to the smoke.

Kaser, who lives near the former evacuation zone, took in three of her neighbors’ horses after the fire broke out. After staying up all night to monitor the fire situation and prepare for a possible evacuation, Kaser praised the work of first responders.

“They’ve really been impressive as far as getting people out in plenty of time,” she said.

Kaser said she has three horse trailers and a motorhome ready to go in case of evacuation.

“I’m patient,” she said, “but a little anxious.”

An evacuation center was established at Elsinore High School at 21800 Canyon Dr. in Wildomar. According to Red Cross volunteers at the center, the shelter had seen no evacuees as of 10 a.m. Friday.

The San Jacinto Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto was taking all animals, authorities said.

So far, Riverside County animal control officials are caring for eight horses — including a pony and a miniature horse — six dogs and a cat owned by residents in mandatory evacuation areas, said John Welsh with the Riverside County Animal Services Department.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned residents in parts of Lake Elsinore and the Perris and Temecula valleys closest to the blaze of unhealthy air quality due to smoke and ash wafting in from the fire area.

The smoke, fire and ash also led several schools in Murrieta to dismiss students early.

“Everyone should avoid any vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children should remain indoors,” SCAQMD said in a news release.

The fire was started Thursday when an 18-year-old Ladera Ranch man riding his dirt bike hit a bump and crashed into a tree on a trail in the Wildomar Off-Highway Vehicle Area in the Cleveland National Forest, California Highway Patrol authorities said.

The 2001 Yamaha bike’s throttle got stuck, revved at a high rpm and ignited gasoline that had leaked from the fuel tank, CHP officials said.

The rider, who suffered minor injuries, tried to put out the fire but wasn’t able to do so. He ran to his truck two miles away and called authorities.

When firefighters arrived, the flames were spreading at a moderate rate through heavy brush in the OHV area, which is off Los Alamos Truck Trail near South Main Divide.

This story is developing. Check back later for more information as it becomes available.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 and has been on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving Southern California readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and video games. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable.

Shane Newell joined the Orange County Register as a community reporter covering Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. He now covers Temecula and Murrieta for The Press-Enterprise. He graduated from Stanford University in 2016 with a M.A. in communication. He earned his bachelor's in journalism from Long Beach State in 2015. Among his favorite stories was his 2016 feature on Monday Morning Quarterback's Peter King and his life as one of the nation's most prolific NFL reporters.

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